The Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee convened for its first meeting and said it will monitor bills assigned to the committee and pursue a bipartisan approach to its work, the committee chair said.

The committee chair read a statement invoking House Rule 44 and the committee's standard operating rules, saying, “I am told I need to make this statement, pursuant to house rule 44, the committee shall operate pursuant to the standard committee operating rules. The standard committee operating rules are found in rules 1c through 4c.” The chair said the committee is working on public hearing ideas and monitoring the LDPC to see which bills are assigned so the committee can start moving them.

“We are working on some, public hearing ideas. We are monitoring the, LDPC to see what bills have been assigned, and we will, start moving them. We hope to operate this committee in a bipartisan way,” the committee chair said. The chair also noted that the committee intends to treat members with courtesy and said the committee previously moved a bill sponsored by Rep. Mako as an example of bipartisan action.

The committee's minority chair spoke after the opening remarks and said he was optimistic about working across the aisle. “Thoughts are scary. I I I do. I'm very excited to be a minority chair of the committee. I don't know if others are excited as I am, but I'm very excited,” the minority chair said, adding that he expects members to show respect while not agreeing on everything.

The meeting opened with a roll call and the pledge of allegiance. With no further questions or comments from members, the chair declared the first meeting adjourned.